Nigeria’s exports to Africa in the third quarter of 2025 jumped 97.16 per cent year-on-year to N4.9 trillion, reflecting a strategic shift toward emerging markets, particularly intra-African trade and the BRICS bloc, according to stakeholders.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Nigerian goods exported to African countries rose to N4.9 trillion in Q3 2025 from N2.49 trillion in the same period of 2024.

The report also highlighted significant growth in exports to China and Brazil, while shipments to the United States and India declined markedly.

The BRICS group—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—offers an alternative economic framework to the Western-led system dominated by the United States.

Nigeria’s trade with BRICS countries is surging, according to recent export data. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that exports to China skyrocketed by 230.49 per cent, rising to N2.26 trillion in Q3 2025 from N683.74 billion in the same quarter of 2024. Exports to Brazil also increased by 19.58 per cent, reaching N446.76 billion, up from N373.61 billion a year earlier.

Nigeria’s trade with BRICS countries is surging, according to recent export data. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that exports to China skyrocketed by 230.49 per cent, rising to N2.26 trillion in Q3 2025 from N683.74 billion in the same quarter of 2024.

Exports to Brazil also increased by 19.58 per cent, reaching N446.76 billion, up from N373.61 billion a year earlier.

It was earlier reported that United States imports from Nigeria fell from $2.65 billion to $2.12 billion between January and May 2025. The decline followed a 14 per cent tariff imposed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump on all Nigerian exports, straining bilateral trade relations and casting doubt on the renewal of trade agreements, including the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria,
Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said that the trade figures “provide clear evidence that Nigerian manufacturers and exporters are increasingly pivoting toward BRICS countries as alternative markets.”

He explained that this shift became necessary after the United States imposed a 14 per cent tariff on most Nigerian exports. According to MAN’s DG, the tariff regime and escalating trade tensions have made the U.S. “less attractive” for Nigerian exporters.

Ajayi-Kadir stated, “For some manufacturers, this diversification is no longer optional; it has become a necessity. BRICS markets offer fewer trade barriers and, in some cases, bilateral agreements that ease market entry.”

He added that exporters now face “longer shipping times, increased compliance costs, and currency volatility” when trading with the U.S., while BRICS countries have become more receptive to Nigerian manufactured goods, agricultural produce, and semi-processed commodities.

On whether the Trump-era tariffs contributed to the declining trade figures, MAN’s DG said they “undeniably played a central role,” noting that “no nation or business willingly absorbs higher tariffs. Policy shifts like these naturally redirect trade flows.”

He also warned that uncertainty over the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act could worsen the situation, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to deepen trade within Africa through the African Continental Free Trade Area.